Pickup for sheet feeders



FIGHZ June 4, 1940. H. HALLSTREAM I 2,203,261

PICKUP FOR SHEET FEEDERS Fiied May 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY June 4, 1940. H. HALLSTREAM PICKUP FOR SHEET FEEDERS Filed May 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY I it ATTORNEYJ June 4, 1940. H. HALLSTREAM 2,203,261

PICKUP FOR SHEET FEEDERS Filed May 5. 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 6.

L 3 fiz/v/w/va A544 4 5 7795/4/ 4.

INVENTOR.

BY Kw} V XORNEYS June 4, 1940. H. HALLSTREAM PfCKUP FOR SHEET FEEDERS Filed May 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 M 5 m s M W m H R. m m V m Em y ATTORNEY$ June 4, 1940. HALLSTREAM 2,203,261

PICKUP FOR SHEET FEEDERS Filed May 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 f/E/V/V/A/G H44 A STREAM INVENTOR.

ATToRNEYs June 4, 1940. H. HALLSTREAM ,261

P ICKUP FOR SHEET FEEDERS Filed. May 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 G /i4. 4 5 7/954 M fi/WW/V IN VENTOR.

June 4, 1940. H. HALLSTREAM PICKUP FOR SHEET FEEDERS Filed May 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR.

K ATTORNEYS June 4, 1940. H. HALLSTREAM PICKUP FOR SHEET FEEDERS 9 Sheets-Sheei 8 Filed May 5, 1938 INVENTOR.

wow,

Patented June 4, 19

' P TENT oFFicE 2,203,261 PICKUP FOR SHEET FEEnEas Kenning Hallstream, Braintree, Masa, assignor.

by mane assignments, to Dexter Folder Company, Pearl River, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 5, 1938, Serial No. 206,122

22 Claims.

This invention relates to a sheet feeder which is capable of forwarding a continuous underlapped series of individually registered sheets. The invention is an improvement or modification of the invention described in my copending application Serial No. 138,119, now Patent No. 2,144,057 and its principal object is to provide a pickup device which will operate; with certainty without the use of combing wheels, or similar buckling devices, in conjunction with sheet registering means of. the type described in said copending application.

Theinvention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, where- Fig. 1 is an outline plan view of a sheet feeder. of which a separator embodying the present invention forms a part;

' Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the separator forwarder mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section looking forward on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the separator an forwarder; I

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 3, showing the separator mechanism in two positions;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3, showing the separator mechanism in two other positions;

Fig; 8 is a simplified view showing two positions of the suction head;

.Fig. 9 is a similar view.;,showing the suction head in two other positions; I v

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the suction head;

Fig. 11 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 12 is a detail plan view, with parts in section, of a modified form of suction cup spreader mechanism;-

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the same mechanism;

Fig. 14 is a detail perspective view of a cam which forms part of the mechanism shown in Figs. 12 and 13; and I Fig. 15 is a vertical section on the line Iii-l5 of Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1 is shown a sheet feeder comprising a table In onto which a fanned out bank of sheets is conveyed over a roller l2 from an .upper loader table (not shown) by conveyor bands l4. The paper is fed down through a reversin throat formed by the roller I2 and lower conveyor bands l6, thence out onto the'table Ill.

and

This arrangement is well known and does not require detailed description.

The construction of the sheet feeder shown in the present application follows in a general way the one shown in my Patent No. 2,144,057. There are two separator heads A and B (head A only being selected for full illustration), mounted above the table It] upon a carriage formed by a transverse pipe 18 mounted by riders 20 at its ends upon guides 22, fixed to the side frames 24 of the machine. Thecarriage can be made to travel longitudinally of the table II] by means of a crank 26 on a shaft 28 (Fig. 2) to which are keyed gears 30 meshing with teeth 32 on guides 22. Each separator and feeder head .is mounted on the pipe l8 by a; bracket 33, the body of which is in the form of a sleeve 34; and this sleeve is keyed to pipe I8 by a key 40 '(Fig. 7) so as to be able to slide along the pipe withoutturning. The operative mechanism of each separator and forwarder is mounted in a bracket 42 comprising side plates 43 and 45 joined by a rear plate 41 (Fig. 3). In the comers where the side plates are joined to the rear plate are two bores 44 (Fig. 6), in which are fixed tubes 46 and 48 mounted to slide vertically in ears 36 and 38 of bracket33. Within the tubes are counterbalancing springs 50, the lower ends of which are hooked over pins 52 fixed to the tubes and the upper ends over pins 54 fixed in the ears 35 by set screws 56. The two tubes 45 and 48 are slotted at 58 to allow them to slide up and down past the pins 54. Upon 2. depending arm 60 of the bracket 42 is a roller 62 which rests upon the bank of paper 64 with a weight equal to the weight of the separator head, minus the force of the counterbalancing springs 50. The separator heads can be raised from the bank of paper by a pedal 66 on a shaft 68 which is rockably mounted in bearings '69 on brackets 33 and riders 20. The shaft 68 has fixed to it levers 10 carrying pivoted links 12 slotted at 14 to receive pins 16 on the brackets 42..

Each separator head has a suction cup which picks up the top sheet of the bank near its rear marginal portion and a forwarding suction cup 82 which takes the sheet from the cup 80 and moves it forward to the drop rollers; The suction cups 80, after picking up the rear margin of the sheet, move the sheet bodily rearward into engagement with trip fingers 84, which form part of rear edge register devices arranged to' terminate the rearward movement of .the sheet in a definite position in which its rear edge is perpendicular tothe longitudinalaxis of the feeder table. The forwarders thus engage each sheet at a definite distance from its rear edge and move it in correctly aligned position forward to the drop rolls.

The suction cup 69 forms part of a suction head comprising a casting 8I bored at 83 and 35 to provide communication between a nipple 86 upon which the suction cup 89 is mounted, and a nipple 81 to which is attached a suction hose 89. The suction head normally rests upon the top sheet of the bank of paper 69 in a substantially horizontal position, the cup 89 and a pivot heel 89 being in contact with the paper. The suction head is operated in such a way, by mechanism about to be described, that the rear margin of the sheet is bent up sharply from the bank, then, while the sheet is winded under its tilted rear margin, the latter is tipped back to a substantially horizontal position above the bank of paper, so as to be in position to be moved rearwardly to the rear edge register devices. The suction head is connected to two lifting levers 99 and 92 by two links 99 and 96 respectively. The link 94 is pivotally connected to a stud 98 projecting from an arm 99 of the casting 6I. The link 96 is pivotally connected to the suction head by a pin I99 adjacent to pivot heel 89. The stud 98 and pin I99 are spaced apart horizontally, the former being located relatively close to the suction cup 89, while the latter is somewhat further from the suction cup and close to the top sheet of the bank of paper. The pin I99 and heel 89 are quite near to the suction cup 89, in order that the latter, when tilted around them, may bend up the rear margin of the sheet sharply from the bank to effect a clean separation from the second sheet. The levers 99 and 92 are pivotally mounted at their right hand ends upon a shaft I92 fixedin bearings I99 and I96 extending upward from the side plates 93 and 65, respectively. The lever 99 has a pin I99 rotatably supporting a roller I III which rides upon a cam I I2 fixed upon a shaft H9. The lever 92 has a pin II6 pivotally supporting a roller II8which rides upon a cam I29 fixed to shaft 9. The levers 99 and 92 are pulled downward by springs 9I and 93 connected to hooks 95 and 91 i011 their respective ends, and to a pin IN on a lever I99. The shaft H9 is mounted in bearings I22 and I26 in the side plates 63 and 45, respectively, and is driven by a telescoping shaft I26 connected by a universal joint I28 to a shaft I39 mounted in bearings I32 and I89 projecting from the side plate 45. A bevel gear I36 on shaft I39 meshes with a bevel gear I38 fixed to shaft H9. The drive of the telescoping shaft I26 is similar to that of the corresponding shaft in my Patent No. 2,144,057. The cams H2 and I29 cause vertical and -';ilting movements of the suction head, as will be described presently.

Horizontal movements of the suction head are derived from a swinging frame comprising the pendant lever I99 which is pivotally supported by a shaft I62 mounted between the side plates 93 and 95, a bell crank lever I99, I66 pivotally mounted on shaft I92, and a rack bar I68 pivotally connected to the lower ends of levers I69 and I66 by pins MI and I66. The lever arm I96 carries a roller I99 riding upon a cam I59 fixed to shaft I I9. A spring I52 is connected at one end to a pin I56 on lever I99 and at its other end to a pin I56 on a stationary plate I56 supported upon shafts I92 and I62. The spring I62 tends to swing the frame I69, I66, I98 to the right, holding the roller I69 against cam I69.

The lower end'of lever I69 is connected by a link I 69 to the pin I99 of suction head 89. The connection of link I 69 to lever I69 is provided by a pin I62 on which the link can slide axially of the pin for a purpose to be described presently. It will be seen that movements imparted to the lever I66, I66 by cam I59 will be transmitted through rack bar I 98 to lever I69, andthrough link I69 to the suction cup 89, moving the latter in a substantially. horizontal direction.

There is a rear edge registering device on each separator head. Each comprises a paper guide for presenting the paper to the trip finger 84.

The paper guide is formed by two plates, I69 and I66, mounted by a block I68 upon a downward projection I19 of plate I58. The front end of the plate I69 curves downward to a position close behind the rear edge of the top sheet, the bank of paper being moved forward in well-known manner, for instance by the bank feed mechanism described in my copending application Serial No. 172,728, now Patent No. 2,144,058 to keep the successive top sheets moving to a position just in front of the guide plate I66. The upper guide plate I66 extends forward for a considerable distance above the rear edge of the top sheet, so that the rear margin of the sheet being separated is always between the two guide plates I66 and I66. The guide plate I66 lies inside the trip finger 84 while the guide plate I69 is bifurcated at I12 and the trip finger extends downward between its forks. The trip finger 86 is fixed to a downwardly extending arm I15 of a hub I16 which is pivotally mounted upon a stud I18 projecting from the plate I58. A leftwardly extending arm I89 of hub I16 has fixed to it a pawl I8I, the downwardly directed end of which is positioned above a series of teeth I82 of rack bar I 68. The hub I16 is normally held by a spring I 84 so that its lug I86 bears against a fixed pin I89 on plate I58. The tilting element comprising the trip finger 89, hub I16, and pawl I8I is adapted to be tipped by engagement of the rear edge of the rearwardly moving sheet with the trip finger 84, to throw the pawl I BI into engagement with teeth I82 and thereby stop the rearward movement of the rack bar I 48 and parts connected to it.

Means are preferably provided to spread the two suction cups 89 apart as they raise the rear marginal portion of the sheet, in order to hold the sheet taut for better engagement by the forwarders. I have shown two different forms of mechanism for this purpose. The first form, shown particularly in Figs. 2-7, is designed to spread the suction cups by a positive cam action. On the pin I62 inside of the hub I99 of link I 69 is rockably mounted a hub I 92 to which is fixed a cam I94. The cam bears against the end of pin I9I and has connected to. it by a pin I96 a link I98, the upper end of which is attached to the lever 92 by the same pin 299 which supports the link 94. The hubs I99 and I92 are pressed inward against the lower end of lever I 99 by a spring 292, the outer end of which is confined by a washer 296' locked by a cotter pin 296. In the lower position of lever 92 the cam I96 permits the hub I92 to rest against the lever I99, but when the lever 92 is raised thecam I 99 bears against pin' Mi and presses its hub I92 outward or pin I62. This also moves the hub I99 outward and, as both separator heads are operating simultaneously, the suction cups 99 are spread 12-14, this form being designed to spread the suction cups by a yielding force and being therefore particularly suited to handle the more deli- .cate' kinds of paper. To the lower end of a penlower end of lever I40a,.the pin and link being fixed together by a set screw 2I6. Between the hub I9 0a of link I60a and the lower end of lever I46a is a cam hub I92a, which bears a cam I94a.

vThe pin I62a is pushed by a spring 202a in a dimotion which tends to move the shaft and the parts connected thereto from the full lineposi tion of Fig. 12 to the dash line position. This spring 202a is confined between an arm 2I8 fixed to the lower end of lever HM and a washer 204a resting against a shoulder of the pin I62a. The

link I98 is connected to cam 194a by a pin I96, so that when moved up by lever 92 (Fig. 6) the cam I940. moves from its full line position to its dash line position, permitting pin 162a to move under the influence of spring 202a. 0n the two separatorheads .the spreader mechanisms are reversed in position and arranged so that the mounted in bearings 222 and 224- at thefront ends of the side plates 43 and 45, respectively, is fixed a clamp 226. This clamp holds a telescoping suction feeder 228, which may be of the same.

design as the one'shown in my aforesaid Pat- V out No. 2,144,057. This suction feeder is sup- ,man 240 (Fig. 3)

ported in the clamp 226 by a tube 230 to which is attached a suction hose 232. Also fixed upon the shaft 220 is the hub 234 of a lever 236, the lower end of which is' connected by a pin 238 to a pit- This pitman carries a roller 242 which'rides upon a cam 244 fixed to shaft II4. A spring 246 attached at one end to a pin 248 on plate 45 and at its other end to a pin 250 on lever 236 pulls the pitman 240 in the direction which holds its roller 242 against the cam 244. This mechanism imparts to the suction feeder 228 a simple rocking movement which is timed to move the sheet from the'rear edge'register devices to the drop rolls; A blow pipe 252 is mounted by a clamp 254 upon the side plate 43 and supplied with compressed air from a hose 256. The purpose of this blow pipe is to flutter the rear edge of the top sheet and to blow air under the same when it is tilted up. A hollow foot clamp 258 is mounted by a clamp 260 upon a pin 262 at one end of a lever 264. This lever is rockably mounted .upon a shaft 266 carried in bearings 268, 269, and 210 of plates 43, 45, and I58, respectively. The rear. end of this lever carries a roller 212 which rides upon a cam 214 fixed to shaft II4, being held to the cam by' a spring 216 stretched I between a pin 218 on lever 264 and a pin 280 on the plate I58. The upper end of foot clamp 258.

is connected to a compressed air hose 282. "The upper end of clamp 260 is formed as a cam slot 284 which embraces a roller 286 rotatably mounted by a pin 288 upon plate I58. The mounting of the cla'm'p foot 258 is such that under the action of cam 214 it executes a combined upward and tilting movement, the upper limit position of which is indicated by dash lines at 290 in Fig. 15.

The several suction and compressed airhoses lead'back to a valve 300 (Fig. 1). The two forward nipples on each side of this valve, to which the hoses 88 and 232 are connected, are on the suction side of the valve. The hoses 256 and 282 are connected to pressure nipples on each side of the valve mechanism. Compressed air is supplied to the valve from a compressor (not shown) by a pipe 302, and a pipe 304 connects the vacuum side of the valve with the intake of the compressor. The valve is rotated in synchronism with the separator heads by a telescoping shaft 306.

The operation of the scribed:

The bankof paper is fed forward by'any suitable bank feedingmeans, so that the rear edge device will now be deof the top sheet of the bank is just in front of v the paper guide I64, and the suction cups 8!! are normally resting upon the rear margin of the topsheet as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, position I. Through the valve 300a vacuum is applied to the suction cups 80, so that they grip the top sheet and cams 21 4 kick .the foot clamps up from the top sheet. Thereupon levers 92 are raised by cam I20, lifting links 94 and tilting the suction headsv about the pivot heels 89 and pins I00. During this time compressed air is blown through nozzles 252 to flutter the rear margin of the top sheet. The foot clamps 258 quickly drop under the rear margin of I the top sheet as it is being turned up by the suction cups and clamp down the second sheet. At this moment the valve'380 sends blasts of air through the foot clamps to assist the separation of the top sheet from the pile. The links I98 are. lifted simultaneously with the links 94 to spread the suction cups 80 apart and tauten the rear margin of the top sheet. When the suctioncups 80 approach position II in Figs. 6 and 8 the rear margin of the sheet is bent up sharply from the heels 89 and is definitely free from the second sheet. How cams Il2 begin to raise levers 90, which, through links 96, lift the pins I00 of the suction heads At this time the upward movement of levers 92 is slowing down to a stop, so that the suction heads are tipped back to a substantially horizontal position as the pins I00 are raised. The lifting of the pins I00 has the effect of straightening the toggles constituted by the suction heads and the links I60, which would move the suction cups rearward prematurely. To avoidthis result the cams I50 are shaped to move levers I40 forward to'take up the motion of the toggles I60, 8|, in

.order that the suction cups 8!] may remain apcups 88. There follows a rearward movement of the suction cups from position III to position IV, under the force of springs I52 and control of cams I50. vAs the rear edge of the paper touches each trip finger 84 the corresponding pawl I8I is tipped down into engagement with the teeth I82 of the corresponding rack bar I48. This may occur at one side sooner than the other, if the rear edge of the sheet is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the feeder table, but when both pawls I8I have engaged their rack bars the sheet will be correctlyregistered.

The swinging motion of the forwarder cups 82 is timed so that they reach their rearmost position shortly after the separated sheet has been registered. At this moment suction is applied to the cups 82, which dip down and grasp the tautened rear portion of the sheet. The suction is cut off from cups 80 at the same moment and the forward feed of the sheet is carried out by the forwarding cups 82. The cams H2 and I20 drop the pickup suction head back onto the bank as soon as the rear edge of the previously separated sheet has passed the heels 89. The operation is then repeated, the sheets being separated and fed forward in such rapid succession that they form a continuous stream of underlapped individually registered sheets.

In this art a distinction is frequently made between sheet feeders which take sheets from a vertical pile and those which take sheets from a fanned out bank. The former are commonly called pile feeders and the latter "bank feeders. The present invention can be used for feeding from either arrangement of sheets and the term "pile as used in the present specificae tion and claims is not intended to denote a particular arrangement of sheets to be separated.

I claim:

1. In a device for separating sheets from the top of a pile one at a time, a plurality of registering devices spaced apart near the rear edge of the top sheet, a plurality of suction cups mounted near said edge at spaced points, each being mounted so as to tilt about a nearby center adjacent the rear of the top sheet, from a horizontal position in' which the suction cup rests upon the top sheet, to a sharply inclined position above the pile; means for tilting said suction cups about said centers to raise the rear margin of the top sheet at a sharp angle to the pile; means for then rocking said suction cups to an approximately horizontal position above'the pile; means for winding the sheet; and means for moving said suction cups approximately horizontally to bring the rear edge of the sheet to said registering devices.

2. In a device for separating sheets from the top of a pile one at a time; a plurality of regis tering devices near one edge of the top sheet; a plurality of suction cups located near said edge; a plurality of supports, each suction cup being mounted on one of said supports for pivotal movement about a nearby center adjacent the top sheet; means for tilting said suction cups about said centers from a position against said top sheet to a sharply inclined position above the pile; means for lifting said supports while holding said suction cups at approximately the same elevation, thereby rocking the suction cups to a substantially horizontal position above the pile; means for winding the sheet; and means for moving said suction cups approximately horizontally to bring the edge of the sheet to said registering devices.

3. In a device for separating sheets from the top of a pile one at a time; a plurality of registering devices near one edgeof the top sheet; a plurality of suction heads each bearing a suction cup normally located near said edge in a substantially horizontal position against the top sheet; a pair of lifting devices for each suction head, the individual lifting devices of each pair being pivotally connected to the appurtenant suction head at two horizontally spaced points, means for operating the individual lifting devices of each pair successively to first tilt said suction heads about one of said pivot points, thereby moving said suction cups into a sharply inclined position above the pile, and to then tilt said suction heads about said other pivot point to move said suction cups to a horizontal position above the pile; means for winding the top sheet; and means for bodily moving said suction heads horizontally to bring the edge of the paper to said registering devices.

4. In a device for separating sheets from the top of a pile one at a time; a plurality of registering devices near one edge of the top sheet; a

plurality of suction heads each bearing a suction cup normally located near said edge in a substantially horizontal position against the top sheet; a pair of lifting devices for each suction head, the individual lifting devices of each pair being pivotally connected to the appurtenant suction head at two horizontally spaced points, one of which is adjacent the vertical axis of the suction cup, while the other is further from said vertical axis and close to the top sheet of the pile; means for operating the individual lifting devices of each pair successively to first tiltsaid suction heads about said second-mentioned pivot point to raise said suction cups to a sharply inclined position above the pile, then to tilt said suction heads about said first-mentioned pivot point to move said suction cups to a substantially horizontal position above the pile; means for winding the sheet; and means for bodily moving said suction heads horizontally to bring the edge of the paper to said registering devices.

5. In a device for separating sheets from the top of a pile one at a time; two registering devices located near the rear edge of thetop sheet at widely spaced points; two pickup devices, each comprising a suction cup located near said rear edge, a support upon which said suction cup is mounted for pivotal movement about a nearby center adjacent the top sheet, means for tilting:

the suction cup about said center from a position against the top sheet to a sharply inclined position above the pile, and means for lifting said support While holding said suction cup at approximately the same elevation to rock the suction cup to a' substantially horizontal position; means for winding the sheet; means for moving said suction cups approximately horizontally to bring the rear edge of the sheet to said registering devices; and means controlled by each registering device to interrupt the horizontal movement of the appurtenant suction cup.

6. In a device for separating sheets from the top of a pile one at a time; two registering devices located near the rear edge of thetop sheet at widely spaced points; two pickup devices, each comprising a suction cup located near said rear edge, a support upon which said suction cup is mounted for pivotal movement about a center adjacent the top sheet and near the suction cup,

means for tilting the suction cup about said center from a position against the top sheet to a sharply inclined position above the pile, and means for lifting said supportwhile holding said suction cup in approximately the same elevation to rock the suction cup to a substantiallyhorizontal position; means forwir'iding the sheet;- means for moving said suction cups approximately horizontally to bring the rear edge of the sheet to said registering devices; means controlled by each registering device to interrupt the horizontal movement of the appurtenant suction cup; and means operable to spread said supports apart when the suction cups have been raised from the pile.

'7. In a device for separating sheets from the top of a pile one at a time; two registering devices located near the rear edge of the top sheet at widely spaced points; two pickup devices, each comprising a suction cup located near said rear edge, a support upon which said suction cup is mounted for pivotal movement-about a center adjacent the top sheet and near the suction cup, means for tilting the suction cup about said center from a position against the top sheet to a sharply inclined position above the pile, and means for lifting said support whileholding said suction cup in approximately the same elevation to rock the suction cup to a substantially horizontal position; means for winding the sheet; means for moving said suctioncups approximate 'ly horizontally to bring the rear edge of the sheet to said registering devices; means controlled by each registering device 'to interrupt the horizontal movement of. the appurtenant suction cup; and means operable simultaneously with said tilting means to spread said supports apart as the suction cups are being raised'from the pile.

8. In a device for separating sheets from the top of a pile one at atime; two registering devices near the rear edge of the top sheet, each comprising guide means for the rear edge of the sheet and a trip finger intersecting said guide means; a pair of pickup devices located at widely spaced points above the rear edge portion of the top sheet, each comprising'a suction cup, a support upon which the suction cup is mounted for pivotal movement about a nearby center adjacent the top sheet, means for tilting the suction cup about said center from a position against the top sheet to a sharply inclined position above the pile, and means for lifting the support while holding the suction cup at approximately the same elevation to rock the suction cup to a substantially horizontal position; means for winding, the sheet under its raised rear edge; means for moving said suction cups approximately horizontally to bring the rear edge of the sheet into engagement with said trip fingers, comprising rack bars respectively connected to said suction cups; and pawls movable by said trip fingers to engage the respective rack bars to stop each suction cup independently of the other. q

9. In a device for separating sheets from the top of a pile one at a time; two registering devices located near the rear edge of the top sheet; a pair of suction heads each bearing a suction cup normally located near said rear edge in a substantially horizontal position against the top sheet; means for independently moving said suction heads, each comprising two lifting devices pivotally connected to their suction heads at two horizontally spaced points, means for operating the two lifting devices of each head successively to first tilt said suction headabout one of said pivot points, thereby moving the suction cup into a sharply inclined position above the pile, and then to tilt said suction head about said other pivot point to move the suction cup to a horizontal position above the pile; means for winding the sheet; cam means operated by saidfirst-mentioned lifting devices for effecting a transverse spreadingmovement of said suction heads; and means for bodily moving said suction heads horizontally to bring the rear edge of the paper to said registering devices.

10. In a device for separating sheets from the near one edge of the top sheet, a pendant lever above the rear portion of the topsheet, a substantially horizontal rack bar pivoted to said lever, a pawl controlledby said registering device adapted to be engaged with'the teeth of said rack bar to limit its horizontal movement, a suction'head mounted on the'foot of said lever by a link permitting bodily vertical movement and tilting movement of the suction head, a suction cup on said suction head normally in a horizontal position against the rear'portion of the top sheet, means for first tilting said suctionfhead to bend up the rear edge of the top sheet sharply from the pile, means for winding the top sheet under its raised rear edge, then raising the suction head bodily from the pile while tilting fit back'to restore the rear edge of thetop sheet to a horizontal position, and means for'moving said'lever rearwardly tobring the rear. edge of the sheet to said registering device, thereby. engaging said pawl with said rack bar and terminating the rearward movement of the sheet.

11. In a device for separating sheets from the top of a pile one at a time, a suction head, an

operating member therefor, a link articulately connecting said suction head to said'operating member, the connection between said link .and said operating member being a pivot permitting rocking movement of the link about a horizontal axis and axial sliding movement on said pivot, actuating means for imparting vertical and tilting movements to said suction head, and means for sliding' said link on said pivot.

12. In a device for separating sheets from the top of a pile one at a time, a suction head, an operating member therefor, a link articulately connecting said suction head to said, operating member, the connection between said linkand said operating member being a pivot permitting rocking movement of the link about a horizontal axis and axial sliding movement on'said pivot, actuating means for imparting vertical and tilt ing movements to said suction head, a cam rockably'mounted on said pivot and operative to slide said link axially on said pivot, and a connection whereby said cam is operated'by said actuating lately connecting said suction heads respectively to said operating members, the connections between said links and said operating members each being a pivot permitting rocking movement of the .link about a horizontal axis and axial sliding movement on said pivot, actuating means for imparting-vertical and tilting movements to said suction head, springs tending to slide said links outwardly from each other on said pivots, and

cams operated by said actuating means to slide said links toward each'othr on said pivots.

14. The method of separating a single sheet from the top of a pile of sheets, which comprises engaging the top sheet near its rear edge by two widely spaced suction cups, tilting up said suction cups to draw the rear edge portion of the top sheet up from the pile at a sharp angle, then tilting the suction cups back to a substantially horizontal position while holding them above the pile, and thendrawing the sheet rearwardly to registering devices while winding the sheet below its raised rear edge.

15. In a sheet feeding mechanism, suction sheet separators arranged to engage opposite rear portions of the sheet, means for tilting the separators to bend up the rear edge portion of the sheet along the length thereof, means arranged rearwardly of the sheet for registering it and controlling rearward movement of the separators, and means for raising the separators and moving them rearwardly to lift the sheet and move it rearwardly into engagement with said registering and controlling means.

16. In a sheet feeding mechanism, suction sheet separators arranged to engage opposite rear portions of the sheet, means for tilting the separators to bend up the rear edge portion of the sheet along the length thereof, means arranged rearwardly of the sheet for registering it and controlling rearward movement of the separators, means for raising the separators and moving them rearwardly to lift the sheet and move it rearwardly into engagement with said registering and controlling means, and suction means for engaging the raised rearwardly moved and registered sheet at the rear thereof and for moving said sheet forwardly.

17. In a sheet feeding mechanism, suction sheet separators arranged to engage opposite rear portions of the sheet, means arranged rearwardly of the sheet for registering it and controlling rearward movement of the separators, and means for lifting the separators, imparting relative lateral movement thereto, and moving them rearwardly, to lift the sheet, stretch it transversely thereof, and move said sheet rearwardly into engagement with said registering and controlling means.

18. In a sheet feeding mechanism, suction sheet separators arranged to engage opposite rear portions of the sheet, means arranged rearwardly of the sheet for registering it and controlling rearward movement of the separators, means for lifting the separators, imparting relative lateral movement thereto, and moving them rearwardly, to lift the sheet, stretch it transversely thereof, and move said sheet rearwardly into engagement with said registering and controlling means, and suction means for engaging the raised, stretched, rearwardly moved and registered sheet at the rear thereof and for moving said sheet forwardly.

19. The method of feeding sheets from a supply thereof to a machine for acting on the sheets, which comprises engaging each sheet by suction at the rear and stretching the sheet transversely thereof while it is so engaged, moving the sheet rearwardly through suction engagement therewith and registering the sheet with respect to said machine through rearward movement of said sheet, and moving the registered sheet forwardly relative to said supply and said machine.

20. The method of feeding sheets from a supply thereof to a machine for acting on the sheets, which comprises engaging each sheet by suction at the rear and stretching the sheet transversely thereof while it is so engaged, moving the sheet rearwardly through suction engagement therewith and registering the sheet with respect to said machine through rearward movement of said sheet, engaging the registered sheet at the rear thereof by suction and moving said sheet forwardly over said supply into lapped relation with a previously fed sheet, and conveying a stream of sheets so registered, fed and sheet with respect to the machine to which it is 1 fed, and mechanism for-separating the leading sheet of the bank therefrom and forwarding said sheet under and in lapped relation with a sheet previously separated and forwarded relative to the bank, said sheet separating and forwarding mechanism comprising laterally spaced suction type sheet separating members arranged to act on the rear edge portion of the leading sheet of the bank and adapted to stretch said rear edge portion of said sheet and bring it into position for action thereon of said sheet registering or squaring up means, and sheet forwarding means comprising laterally spaced sheet engaging devices arranged to act on the rear of said leading sheet of the bank when the rear edge portion of said sheet has been stretched and positioned as aforesaid.

22. In a continuous stream feeder having means for feeding a bank of fanned out sheets the combination of means engageable with the rear edge of the leading sheet of the bank for registering or squaring up that sheet with respect to the machine to which it is fed, and mechanism for separating the leading sheet from the bank and forwarding said sheet under and in lapped relation with a sheet previously separated and forwarded relative to the bank, said sheet separating and forwarding mechanism comprising movable, suction type sheet separating members arranged in spaced relation transversely of the feeder to act on the rear edge portion of the leading sheet of the bank, sheet forwarding and controlling means comprising devices engageable with the rear edge portion of said sheet, and means for imparting sheet engaging, stretching and positioning movements to said sheet separating members whereby they engage the rear edge portion of the leading sheet, stretch it transversely of the feeder, and bring said rear edge portion into position for the action thereon of said sheet registering or squaring means and said devices of said sheet forwarding and controlling means.

HENNING HAILS'I'REAM. 

